Design of LIRR double track to begin in July

Despite estimates that pegged work not starting for another two years, state officials announced today design work on the long-awaited second track for the Long Island Rail Road will begin this July.

The $138 million project will add 12.6 miles of track to the LIRR Main Line between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma.

The new project timeline will have the Metropolitan Transportation Authority begin the environmental assessment and start the design of the track and power systems, as well as the signal systems, in July.

Design and construction of the track, as well as installation of communications and signal elements, are scheduled to begin in 2013, two years before originally anticipated.

The new timeline pegs completion of the project for the end of 2018.

A 2018 date of completion means it will open around the same time the MTA completes work on its East Side Access project, which will connect the LIRR to Grand Central Station.

MTA Chief Joseph Lhota recently told Long Island business leaders that project could be pushed back to 2019 due to complications with construction.

2 comments

I am glad that the MTA is double tracking the LIRR’s mainline aka Ronkonkoma Branch between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma. This will mean more trains scheduled to use this rail line. However other problems most also have to be address such as more parking, pollution and congestion at the stations between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma.
Various local governments will have to pay for the construction of more parking at these electrified stations to accommodate the increases vehicle traffic at these stations.
Increased traffic will also cause more pollution and congestion on roadways going to these electrified stations. Even more people, who live near non-electrified Long Island Railroad Stations, along the LIRR’s Upper Port Jefferson Branch, will drive to electrified stations.
These leaves many non-electrified stations along this line even more underutilized.
Public transport must also be simple and direct so that a person can get to their final destination. Here on Long Island, the LIRR however seems to have two classes service for their commuters. One type service is at electrified stations. These stations in most cases offer the criteria of convenient, reliable and frequent service. This type also offers simple and direct so that a person can get to their final destination. The second type is train service from non- electrified stations.
A solution to this would be combining of Metro-North Upper Hudson Division with a LIRR non- electrified line such as the Upper Port Jefferson Branch via Penn Station.
This would bring better train service to non- electrified rail lines access to Penn Station for the LIRR This would give the Long Island Railroads Upper Port Jefferson Branch more direct through train service to a Manhattan Railroad Terminal.
At present the LIRR Upper Port Jefferson Branch, only offers two peak round trips and some holiday service through service to Penn Station. This year they have modified their direct train service to Penn by offering one round trip on a modified weekend schedule during bad weather on Monday –Friday.

To say this could not be done is wrong, Amtrak a through train from Albany to Shea stadium Station on the LIRR’s Port Washington Branch. There were also plans for a daily train between Albany and Port Jefferson via Penn Station [See Newsday July 1991.] Metro-North was also thinking about trains to Long Island. These trains were supposed to go to stations near Long Island Beaches. [See Articles in the New York Times in June or July of 1993]. MTA should combine Metro-North Upper Hudson Division with a LIRR Non- electrified line such as the Upper Port Jefferson Branch.via Penn Station to stop this class system at the LIRR. Combining routes would give the LIRR Upper Port Jefferson Branch better train service to a Manhattan Railroad Terminal. Metro-North Upper Hudson Division trains once they reach Penn Station should continue on to Long Island. This helps manage the track space in Penn Station more wisely. I would also the LIRR use less scheduled trains at Penn Station because the Metro-North Train would take the place of the Long Island Railroad Train to Long Island from Penn. Crews from both railroads could be changed at Penn Station so that operate the Penn Station train in their own territory. Before this happens, LIRR train crews must be instructed on how to operate a dual mode train sets. Metro-North and New Jersey Transit have a similar arrange to operate a train from New Haven to Secaucus using a NJT electric train set. This train is operated during football season by both railroads

I would also give better sport fans access to trains to Yankee Stadium .Let’s find and spend public dollars wisely for all commuters who use our railroads and improve service.